Paxman wins presenter of the year

Jeremy Paxman has been named presenter of the year at the Royal Television Society's awards for journalism.

The judges said they were impressed with the Newsnight presenter's "compelling" interviewing style.

The BBC won eight awards, including a judges' award for its former Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston, who was held hostage last year.

Channel 4 and Sky News teams won three awards each at the London ceremony, while ITV programmes won two awards.

Veteran newsreader John Suchet collected the lifetime achievement award at the ceremony, hosted by Julie Etchingham of ITV's News at Ten.

The brother of actor David Suchet, he started his career with Reuters in 1968, covering the Paris riots. He joined ITN in 1972, and retired from its ITV news team in 2004. Suchet returned to the screen two years later, with Five News.

'Brilliantly handled'

BBC business correspondent Robert Peston was awarded scoop of the year for his pursuit of Northern Rock's financial problems, while political correspondent Nick Robinson was honoured as best specialist journalist.

The Zimmers gathered at Abbey Road to record their song

The BBC also picked up a current affairs award for The Great Granny Chart Invasion, following The Zimmers - a rock band made up of senior citizens.

The judges praised its "original way of tackling an important, but often neglected issue," and said it was "funny, sensitive and brilliantly handled".

Sky News was named news channel of the year and its reporter Alex Crawford picked up the award for television journalist at the ceremony.

ITV's Evening News won news programme of the year for the second consecutive year, beating Five News and the BBC's Ten O'Clock News.

RTS JOURNALISM AWARDS: THE WINNERS

Lifetime achievement: John Suchet

Judges' award: Alan Johnston

Presenter of the year: Jeremy Paxman - Newsnight, BBC Two

Young journalist of the year: Hamish MacDonald - Al Jazeera English News Hour

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